By Rob Adams, Sedona Mayor 2008 – 2014
(February 2, 2019)
Do you remember the scene in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy and Toto expose the “great wizard of Oz” as a cowardly little man behind a curtain pulling levers and making a lot of noise and bluster? The people of Oz feared this man because he had a powerful bully pulpit. Sound familiar?
In the January 20, 2019 edition of Sedona.biz, I submitted a letter to the editor that I had written in response to a defamatory editorial that was written in the January 18th edition of the Red Rock News. The Red Rock News refused to print my response to the editorial attack, stating that it “was published elsewhere (Sedona.biz) and we have no intention of reprinting old news.” Old news? Don’t I have the right to broadly respond to an editorial attack?
I subsequently wrote a “letter to the editor” that proposed that Fox Graham and I meet in a neutral public setting (perhaps and Olli lunch and learn) and debate the defamatory comments that were made about me. Face to face. No opportunity for Fox Graham to edit, omit, delete or censor my responses to his accusations. Guess what? No response from Fox Graham.
I have received emails, phone calls and have had discussions with many people out in the public that have experienced similar bullying from Fox Graham. This is a much bigger problem than a conflict with one citizen. There is a pattern of behavior from our local newspaper that reflects an abuse of journalistic power. Many people are afraid to speak up because they fear that Fox Graham will do the same thing he did to me. Attack with no recourse.
I am working to assemble a group of citizens to discuss journalistic abuse of power. We need to collect a body of evidence that supports the claim that our local newspaper is not best serving the best interests of our community. We then need to formulate a plan of action. The outcome needs to be carefully thought out and based on factual evidence. Sedona deserves a news source that doesn’t use fear of one- sided and inappropriate censorship or attacks as a bullying tactic.
If we are not willing to stand up and speak out, nothing will change.
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22 Comments
Organize a boycott. Newspapers are obsolete anyway, so the Red Rock Fake News will go out of business, a boycott will speed things along.
Tell everyone you know not to advertise or buy their paper. I’ll never buy another one, not that I have bought more than a very few for years.
Tonsich I fail to understand why you would even post on any of the Sedona sites as you no longer live in the red rocks.
Get over yourself Big Tony and remember YOU LOST MISERABLY to a little old lady, the point being A LADY. Now we all know how nasty you are to people only focusing on your own issues. You don’t like the RRN because they called you out for not using factual information during your campaign and once told the real facts refused to adjust your information and now you have sour grapes. Go figure! The people of Sedona spoke loud and clear that you were not the guy that could bring people together but instead, polarized everyone you touched. But it’s the RRN’s fault, you really have some testicles.
I could care less if you ever buy the RRN. IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME!
Big Tony, it’s so sad that you would dare interject your negative comments as part of Mayor Rob Adams posting. This man tried to do positive things for our city even as a private citizen, what positive stance have you ever done for anyone but yourself?
Oh right, your campaign for mayor, all about you. Publicly coming out against businesses, hotels and tour operators in a tourist town. Yeah, that was a bright tactic.
I am a little shocked at what poor winners some people are. I can only imagine the attacks if you had lost. It shows your true character. I am also surprised at how you consider the age and gender of my opponent. “YOU LOST MISERABLY to a little old lady.” Are you implying I should have won simply because I am a man and my opponent was a woman? Did you notice this was not hand to hand combat?
Secondly the Red Rock Fake news articles were full of lies and falsehood, I’m not going to bother to refute them point by point, but if you believe what is written in the Red Rock Fake News there is little hope for you.
“I could care less if you ever buy the RRN. IT MEANS NOTHING TO ME!” Then why bother to respond to me? Once again a sore winner syndrome.
As to “Publicly coming out against businesses, hotels and tour operators in a tourist town. ” I came out for residents and tourists so that both could have a positive experience in Sedona. My campaign slogan was “RESIDENTS FIRST.” It would seem that some tourist business do not care about the quality of life for residents or the quality of the tourist experience. All some tourist business care about is their own greed, not all, but certainly some. Others care about not killing the goose the laid the golden egg. You can tell what group you reside in.
I have no respect for Rob Adams, it was under his administration the boondoggle of giving millions of bed tax to the chamber was started. I wrote to support honest , factual reporting, not to support Adams. Honest reporting is something never seen in the Red Rock Fake News.
I do totally agree with “you really have some testicles.” I ran for mayor against the regime in power because it was the right thing to do. ” I knew I would face personal attacks and fierce opposition from those with their hands in the city’s pockets. “All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” I don’t suffer fools gladly. I had nothing to gain by being mayor.
I still contribute to show how the idiocy of the current Sedona leadership and the greed of some tourist businesses affects the entire Verde Valley, where I still live.
“Do the right thing, it will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Mark Twain
You should try it sometime.
Oh boy you Tonish and Schroeder ragging about the reporting of the RRN is quite funny stuff..
Schroeder your tea party group loves to throw fake information out there as well… Your kinda like the pot calling the kettle black.
As far as boycotting the RRN goes…… Regarding you two and the results of the last election…I predict a long long long life for the RRN.. Appently the only things disliked more then the RRN is both of you.
Mr. Tonsich,
Don’t worry about buying the RRN, it’s not available outside the city limits so you won’t feel tempted.
Let see how Verde Valley FD and Yavapai County workers will feel about you following them around taking photos while they cashed their paychecks and then had the nerve to warn folks that if you were picked on your DAUGHTER would take them to court. you threatened anyone who picked on you that you’d have your daughter fight your battles and you let a little old lady woop your butt. Yup, real mayor material.
Tonish..
You are a total moron… Mad at a newspaper for speaking the truth about you.
Your hilarious soy boy
Richard Saunders and Tony Tonisch, you’ve gone way beyond commenting on the article. Please take your argument to another forum. Thank you.
— Sedona.biz Staff
I don’t see how Tonsich’s comment is off topic. It is essentially the same as what Sedona.biz owner Steve Devol recommended the last time Adams wrote about the SRRN.
The SRRN has freedom of the press but we have freedom of the purse. Don’t like the paper? Don’t buy it. Problem solved. I have lived quite well without it (no longer misinformed!) since I was “banned for life” from it several years ago.
Let the SRRN become irrelevant.
Tony Tonsich and Richard Saunders often make relative comments. It’s the personal bickering and name calling that is inappropriate. We will of course continue to allow them to make comments — prositive or negative — regarding the content of a post.
—Sedona.biz Staff
Thank you, staff. I do not want to be associated with this argument between Tony and Richard. It has nothing to do with what I have written.
Rob Adams
Exactly. And you’re welcome.
— Sedona.biz Staff
In response to the above comments: So sad what Sedona has become. Guess it goes with the current territory our country is in.
As to the article: Go for it Rob!
It’s not about the fact that RRN is completely slanted, it’s that don’t report complete facts of a situation and pull countless stunts like they did with you. All under the guise of ‘news’.
Boycotting is a grand idea. Defamation lawsuits work too.
We have some fun with the RRN
http://www.arizonaliberty.us/Video_Library.html
Give me a break Mike Schroeder, so you’re going to “have some fun with the RRN” perhaps that means something to you but at the end of the day, I think that the RRN had a barrel of fun cleaning your clock.
Other than killing the SFD bond which really wasn’t such a bad thing, this community isn’t buying what you’re selling PERIOD!
We didn’t want the uninformed or perhaps puppets that you put up for town council, we definitely didn’t want you and your two boys on the fire board (oh yeah, thanks for chasing away the best fire chief this side of the Mingus) and we didn’t want those paid petition gatherers that you sent to my house to “help save Sedona” with your PSA for the budget.
Go back to living in the big house and flying your jets, you are completely out of touch with what this community wants and have no support here.
@Mike S
Mike I looked at your AZ Liberty post.
A couple things.. Isn’t the opening a copyright violation for the movie company PARAMOUNT? Sure looks that’s way..
The whole creation seems a little overblown since any issue your group(some call it the TEAPARTY) was involed in lost on the ballot?
Also one more thing I’d like to point out. Your Tea Party slate came in the bottom 3 out of six candidates for the Fire Board.. So I guess nobody cares much about you, your group, or your little dumb cartoon animation.
1 – No copyright issues
2 – There has not been a Tea Party in Sedona since 2011
3 – You get what you vote for
Enjoy
Michael Schroeder, never truer words have been spoken when you say; “you get what you vote for”.
I’m guessing you’re speaking about your devastating loss by over 1000 votes for the SFD Board. Please go back to your corporate world and leave the SFD alone.
Why don’t you be honest with everyone here and TELL US WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TEA PARTY back in 2011.
My intel says that you and Kadar took a lot of heat over YOUR creation of the Sedona Tea Party “back in the day” so YOU created AZ Liberty (same beliefs just a fancy name) so your tea party friends in PHX would be impressed. That’s the same tea party friends who you paid to go around town with those petitions for the PSA that failed. As a matter of fact, the guy who came to my door his name was Josh who lives in Gilbert, Josh said that he was being paid to “help Sedona”.
I know that I’m not as smart as a big-time corporate big shot like you guys but I learned a thing or two as a blue collar worker IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK…..
I just think you should be man enough to OWN just what AZ Liberty really means and be honest. The little people know, you just think that we’re stupid little people.
@MikeS
Really Mike …..no copyright problems with your teaparty intro on u tube.
https://youtu.be/kLl4b_doNtk
Looks really similar . How invocative and creative your little group is. Is this how you were gonna “fix” the made up problems with Sedona Fire?
It’s no wonder you placed last.
@Harvey
Right on Harvey….a total sham
@Mike S
You say no copyright problem with your TeaParty animation.
Well let them decide……you’ve been know to speak out of both sides of your mouth.
No copyright infringement.
Arizona Liberty is just a website that was sitting idle, like several others I own. We activated it for the National monument issue, which is still the primary focus.
Amazing you do not know stuff like that.
I was never involved with the Sedona Tea Party. Look it up. I kow facts get in the way of a good rant. But your commets are a bit idiotic and unsubstantiated.
I don’t know if the fake RRN had a lot to do with the SFD board elections, but only a totally blind person wouldn’t ask why they ran candidate profiles after the majority of the mail in ballots were….mailed in. Hhhmmmm.
And if you don’t know how the fake RRN was posting stories on the council election, the override and the ballot initiative before WE got the news then they really have a hook through your lip. A little collusion between the fake RRN and the city maybe?
So now you have 2 firemen on the board, three members that supported the bond issue, and two rubber stamps. Not sure where the taxpayer advocacy comes in or outside expertise that is supposed to be on boards.
I was willing to put a lot of time in as were the others to make a good district better. So now you have firemen talking to fireman. Good luck with that. Being on the board of a public company I DO understand the purpose of diversity which must challenge management.
And Kazian…he was looking way before the election. Go blame someone else.
And this post was from Rob, another victim of the fake RRN.
Mike S
I never heard someone whine and make excuses for thier last place election finish then you and that guy Tony T.
Perhaps the more you talk…..the more your true “tea party” colors shine. No one is buying the BS your trying to sell us. Maybe we are a lot smarter then YOU think you are…
Oh Mike Schroeder I’m shocked just shocked that you didn’t address my questions about paying Josh from Gilbert to circulate those PSA petitions. Even if YOU didn’t actually pay anyone, Citizens for Prosperity DID pay him, HIS WORDS TO ME, GO ASK HIM and being the very intelligent person that you are, YOU KNEW IT BUT CHOSE NOT TO BE TRANSPARENT. I found it really interesting that you and AZ Liberty didn’t have local support for a local issue, so SOMEONE had to be paid to do the work.
I was at the PSA Q&A at the Luthern church, you were asked the direct question, did you or AZ Liberty pay people to walk the petitions around town. Your answer was no but you knew that YOU didn’t pay them and could have been honest with the public, YOU chose not to.